2.5 SISYPHUS - Papa Was a Rollin' Stone

2.5 SISYPHUS - Papa Was a Rollin' Stone

From Alex Andreou's Podyssey by Alex Andreou

May 25, 2026 · 1h 38m · Season 2 · Episode 6

About this episode

This episode explores the myth of Sisyphus and its implications for understanding the human condition.

To receive the illustrated guide to each episode and an invitation to the live Q&A on Thursday 4th June at 7pm, become a monthly supporter! *** SUPPORT PODYSSEY ON ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/PODYSSEY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Sisyphus - condemned to an eternity of torment. Forever rolling that giant boulder up the steepest mountain side, only to watch it roll back down as soon as it is almost at the top - his "sisyphean task", seen for millennia by so many artists and philosophers as the perfect allegory for the human condition. Most know the sentence. But how many know the crime? Why is Sisyphus being punished forever? The short answer is: for being human. The long answer is revealing, funny, profound, and very very surprising. The myths, tales, and concepts of ancient Greece echo and reach into every aspect of modern life. Often misunderstood, frequently romanticised, and sometimes deliberately twisted - to understand their origins and truth is to get a real glimpse into the universal themes that connect us to the past and each other. Welcome to Podyssey with Alex Andreou. Each week we will take one myth, one concept, person, place, or theme from Ancient Greece, take it apart, figure out its inner…

People in this episode

Host: Alex Andreou

Topics covered

  • mythology
  • human condition
  • ancient Greece
  • philosophy
  • allegory
  • cultural influence

Keywords

  • Sisyphus
  • myth
  • human condition
  • philosophy
  • ancient Greece
  • allegory
  • cultural themes

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Sisyphus

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